The Buffy Comic Project: "New Kid on the Block, Part 1"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 6

(Dark Horse) (Volume 1, 1998-2003)

Creators: Andi Watson & Dan Brereton (writers); Hector Gomez (penciller); Sandu Florea (inker)

Setting: Season Two

T.V. Character Appearances: Buffy, Xander, Willow, Oz, Cordelia, Giles, Angel

Major Original Characters: Cynthia (new girl)

Summary: It's been a couple of weeks since a new girl, Cynthia, arrived at Sunnydale High and she's become fast friends with the Scoobies. After a trip to the mall, Cynthia suggests an old-fashioned slumber party (girls-only, much to Xander's dismay). That night, Buffy and Angel save Cynthia from several vampires in a local cemetary. After the slumber party begins, the girls play "spooky truth or dare" until the doorbell rings. Buffy thinks it's the pizza guy, but instead it's a pack of vampires. To be continued, next issue.

Review: These early issues are half-goofy, but there's something just kind of fun and innocent and charming about them. Cynthia, the new girl, is obviously up to no good so we'll have to wait until Part II to find out exactly how. Xander provides some real comedy for the first time in the series, as he gears up to sneak into the slumber party to see just what it is girls get up to at those things (according to the cover of next issue, pillow fighting in their underwear). I find these comics work at lot better being read one at a time instead of in large bunches like the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus; like Archie comics or 80s t.v. shows, the standard story beats can be repetitive and annoying in large doses but can be a lot of fun if properly spaced out.

Notes

* Only six issues into the on-going series, and already the letters page announces six new Buffy-related one-shots and limited series. The Buffy license must have proved quite lucrative to Dark Horse!

* Speaking of money, how much would it have cost to buy one of each kind of Buffy-related merchandise advertised in the comic (excluding shipping and handling)? $ 545.95

* Here we see the new girl, Cynthia, propose "spooky truth or dare". Who are all these extra girls in the Summers' living room? Shouldn't they pull the curtains? Isn't this exactly what Xander was hoping would happen (except for the "spooky" part)?

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